Can I come?
by Eve Meah
Summary: Aleksander's father wants to make peace with England. He gets help form a nice man named Mr. Sharp. His daughter is very intimidating to Aleksander. See what happens.
1. Chapter 1

"Can I come?" 12 year old Aleksander asks his parents. Father had told him they were going to England to sort out peace negotiations with the Darwinists. Although he was terrified of the soulless beasts, Alek wanted to see them, at least once. His mother, of course, said no. But Father was surprisingly more agreeable.

"Come on Sophie. He wants to see the beasts." She was pacing around the study, to which Alek was called into to be informed of their leave.

"But it's dangerous." The princess said. She bent down to her son. "Alek are you sure you want to see all those scary things."

"Mother," He laughed brushing her hand from his shoulder. "I'm 12! I can handle a fabrication."

"Well," she looked back at her husband. "Alright," Sophie smiled and tousled the young prince's hair.

Alek was happy to have reassured his mother, though the truth was, he wasn't sure he could handle it. Though he was a prince and inheritance or not, he needed to learn to put on a brave face and lie. Currently, he couldn't do either of those things.

"Alek go ask a servant to pack for you. We must hurry; we are leaving in the morning." He walked up to his wife and laid an arm over her shoulders while young Alek scampered off.

"Do you really think he'll be alright?" She asked.

"I'm not sure. But if this treaty goes through, we might be getting a little more diverse and he should be ready for that."

"When are we going to tell him about the scroll?"

"When we die or when he's ready." She nodded.

Elsewhere…

"WHAT?" Mrs. Sharp yelled at her husband.

"Dear, do you have to yell everything?"

"Aye, ladies shouldn't raise their voice in the house, Ma."

"Love, you're not helping."

"Sorry, Da," Little 12 year old Deryn said. She had just gotten back from her seventh secret flying lesson from her Da. They were fun and Da said she had a knack for it. Jaspert had them too, but they didn't have to be secret. Barking boys!

"I don't want her going up in those balloons anymore!" Oh yeah, they had just been caught.

"Too bad! And I'm goin' with Da to London to see his new job!"

"WHAT? You got a job in London? WITHOUT TELLING YOUR WIFE!"

"No, it's not a job it's a consult. Some royals are coming in from Austria and they want a representative from every part of the military there, and they picked me for the air force. I'll only be gone for a week. Deryn really wants to see London and Jaspert wants to meet others from the military. I've told you he wants to join when he gets to be 16."

"Well!" And Deryn's ma stormed off while she chuckled. This flying thing is going to better than she thought.

"Oy, Da!" He smiled down at his happy child.

"Aye, love?"

"I've found a new way to make Ma angry!"

"Aye, maybe next time you can try on some of my pants!" He tousled her hair. But she was thinking 'why not?'

A while later…

"This is London?" Alek looked out the window of the carriage the monarchs had sent to see a dreary raining town with dark skyscrapers that loomed over you, and devil animals with fangs. "It looks like a nightmare."

"You wanted to come." His mother reminded him.

"Yes, but I thought it would look nicer." He sat back in his seat, only to be unsettled by the noises he heard from the ungodly beast pulling them. "What in god's name is it doing?"

"Oh well, you see, Aleksander." Wildcount Volger said. Why he was here, Alek had no idea. His fencing master seemed to accompany Father whenever he had an important matter to attend to. Alek himself couldn't stand the man. "It's processing its fuel. By processing I mean digesting and by fuel, I mean meat." This is one reason why-all Alek's life Volger had either hit him with a sword or insulted him. Today, amidst the beast, he was in a particularly bad mood, so he was going to scare Alek.

"Here we are." Mother said eagerly, ready for the bitterness Volger directed toward her son to be over. "Well I'm ready, how about you two?" His father had been quiet.

A wee bit earlier…

"Wow!" Deryn and her brother said.

"Aye, agreed." Their Da said, covering his face and looking up. It was a beautiful sunny day in London. "Well I'd best find the others. Deryn, love, I'm sorry but you can't come in. Jaspert, take her back to the hotel and both of you stay there until I come back. I promise we can see the city then, alright?" He looked down to see two sad faces. "Oh come now! There's nothing I can do! Just wait, aye?"

"Aye," They said in unison. Mr. Sharp leaned down and kissed his little girl on the forehead. He went to do the same to Jaspert but…

"Aww, Da!" He swatted him away. "I'm too old for that." This is when his da wrested him into a headlock and kissed him anyway.

"You had better get going. I think it's going to rain. See you later, aye?"

"Aye!"

After the conference, in the court yard of Buckingham palace:

"Well I think that was…" Mr. Sharp began.

"…A disaster?" The Archduke of Austria, ended.

"Aye, Sorry, I think it's a good idea."

"Well, thank you for trying."

"They don't see the possibilities of combining fabrications with machines. It's maddening." He began to laugh as he continued to walk through the court yard with the Archduke, his wife Princess Sophie, and their son Prince Aleksander, who had been very quiet throughout the meeting. "What do you think Aleksander?"

"Quite." He replied.

"You know… I have a daughter your age?"

"Oh."

"She talks much more!" He was laughing again. "In fact, there she is now!" At this Alek looked up. A commoner, much less a girl, could not be in here. But, none the less, she ran full speed toward her father, knocking him to the ground.

"DAAA!" She shrieked. Alright, she knocked over her 'Da'.

"DERYN!" So that's her name. Alek was intrigued by this girl. She comes out of nowhere to attack her 'Da'. "How'd you get past the guards?"

"Oh them," She said standing up. "It wasn't hard. I tried to go through the gate but they grabbed me so I cried and they let go so I came around to that wall and climbed over usin' the vines and here I am! You should tell the rest of those military blokes that if a 12 year-old girl can get in here, then they better work harder on the rest of the country."

"What about your brother?"

"He fell asleep." Her story done she turned to the rest of the people and proudly pronounced, "Hello! I'm his daughter, Deryn. Who are you?" Alek's mother laughed like she was being charming. Alek just thought she was rude. No one has ever been rude to him, other than Volger, but his name just says it all.

"I'm Sophie." She said instead of her full title. Curiouser and curiouser.

"I'm Franz." His father said. She turned to Alek when he remained silent.

"And you?" She asked. He was petrified. How do I speak to her?

"This is our son, Alek." Sophie said. "We need to talk a bit more. Would you mind going to play for a bit?"

"Nope, I'm fine with that. You?" Alek didn't speak. "Oy! I'm talkin' to you! HELLO?"

"Yes?" He whispered.

"Well don't just stand there! Come on!" She pulled his arm and they were off and Alek was gone. "Bye Da!" She yelled on her way out.

"Bye love!" He yelled and waved. "Be nice!"

"We'll see!" she cried back.

"I'm sorry." Mr. Sharp muttered to Franz and Sophie.

"Oh it's fine." Sophie said waving it away with her hand. "I don't think Alek plays with many people his age. This will be good for him." She turned tentatively toward her husband. "Right?"

"Yes. Now, how will we get the other to see, Mr. Sharp?"

"Well I was thinking…."

In another place:

"What's your problem?" Alek screamed in her face.

"I don't have one!"

"You most certainly do!"

"NO I DON'T! You're the one with the problem! What 12 year old says 'certainly?'"

"I do not have a problem!"

"Oh really, 'cause the last time I checked, girls shouldn't be faster than boys. So before you go accusin' me of a problem, check your self-first, aye?"

"What does 'aye' even mean?"

"It means 'yes' your princlyness

"Stop calling me that!"

"Make me!" She was in his face now. He didn't know why he was slower than her, he didn't know why he wanted to race, he didn't know why he stared this argument but he knew one thing: he really didn't want to be beat up by a girl.

"Fine!" He took one step forward and kissed her. She pulled away instantly, which hurt his feelings a little.

"Wow!" And she laughed and it was over. "That's a good way to end an argument."

"Thank you." Alek tried to look proud on the outside, but it did hurt.

"Wasn't a bad kiss, though," She said.

"What?"

"Alek?" His mother called. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Just a minute, Mother, Deryn, what did you say?"

"If they're done talking, I'd better get back to my Da." She had a gleam of hope in her eye. Alek hoped he wasn't blushing as their parents walked up. "Da, can we go to the zoo, now? I wanna see all the beasties!"

"We have to get your bother, first. I'm sure he thinks he's lost you by now." And they started to walk away.

"I have to find Count Volger and then we'll be off, too." His father walked away.

"Mother, what's a beastie?"

"It's just what they call the fabrications, dear." Alek nodded. He had heard Deryn use the term before, but didn't want to appear ignorant by asking.

"BYE ALEK!" Deryn yelled from across the court yard, waving furiously. Alek smiled and waved back, not wanting to yell and be impolite. Sophie caught his expression and smiled to herself. Her son had his first crush.

"Alright, let's go." Volger crumbled behind Alek. The slight blush and smile on his face were gone.

He was back to his stone-faced, "Quite."

Three years later:

The treaty had finally gone through and Alek's father had a lot of work to do. He was planning the arrangements for representatives from different Darwinist countries to come to his palace and consult with him about the dynamics of the 'boffins' and 'life threads'. He was also looking for a tutor to come and teach Alek some of the basics.

"But I don't want to learn about those ungodly creatures. Why do I have to learn about them?" Alek whined.

"Alek, 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.'"

"Father you've made them our allies."

"Yes, keep your friends close." And he would sigh and continue through his day. But now he was waiting with his father while the first of the Darwinists arrived. Alek was not told who was going to come. His father said it was a surprise.

In the carriage:

Deryn was so existed! She was on her way to see Alek! She hadn't seen him since that one week three years ago! They had gotten into so much mischief and had so much fun, she couldn't wait! Sure they had exchanged letters over the years, but it wasn't the same as being in the same room. Deryn wanted to see her friend again! She was bouncing in her seat the whole way.

"Deryn sit still." Her Da said. He had been one of the people Alek's father had chosen to come live in his big palace for the year. She knew it was going to happen. Alek had written that his father enjoyed the conversations he would have with her Da. But he didn't know that she would be coming with him! He was going to be so surprised! Deryn hoped that his princlyness would lose his composure for once and actually hug her.

When the carriage came to a stop, Da got out first. He went up and shook hands with both men. 'Men' because little stringy Alek had grown. He had gotten taller and even under his suit she could tell he more muscle then her. His hair was getting a bit shaggy, but somehow that made him look even more handsome. His face was sharp and confident. He was a man now. Never the less, Deryn still planned to scare the wits out of him. She got out of the other side of the carriage and snuck up behind him.

"ALEK!" She shrieked in his ear. He yelled and fell over on his side staring up at her in disbelief. 'How is she here?' he kept thinking. "I got you good, didn't I?" She said as she kneeled down to stare him in the face.

"Yes, quite honestly, you got me very good!" He laughed, glad she hadn't changed. Well, that's not true. She had changed, very much. She was beautiful, stunning and gorgeous all at once. Her golden hair was in ringlets down to her waist with a single loose bow. Her soft blue dress fit her perfectly and showed off all of her figure. It wasn't too defined but it was obvious that she was strong and slender.

"Well? Are you going to sit on your rump staring all day or hug me?"

"Oh, right, sorry." He embraced her in a warm strong hug he had wanted to give her for the past three years. In one week the two had become inseparable. Deryn had even begun to cling to Alek's parents. His mother was completely in love with her! They two females had cried when they had to part, and Alek was sure they would cry meeting again after all this time. "Come on, I'll take you to Mother!"

"Aleksander." His father warned. "We have another guest."

"Oh its fine let them go. I'm sure they have a lot of caching up to do. As do we."

"So we can go?" Alek and Deryn were edging back toward the palace. A slight nod from his father and Alek was running full speed with Deryn's hand in his. When they entered the palace she stopped. "What's wrong? Aren't you coming?"

"Aye, give me a minute." She looked all around her and whistled. "Fancy."

"Well, they don't call me a prince for no reason. Come on!" He grabbed her hand and kept running. When they found his mother she broke down in tears and pulled Deryn into her arms.

"Where did you come from, love? I thought only your father was coming?"

"He was but then Franz decided that I needed to come too!"

"But aren't you going to miss home? Being away for a whole year?"  
>"No, I'll be fine. My Da's here and Jaspert is one of the airman assigned to help with simulations and Franz said I'll be taking school with Alek and I have him and you so I'll be fine!" She buried her face in Sophie's chest.<p>

A month later… (Warning: tragedy.)

"NOOOOOOO!" Deryn wailed as she was pushed from the flaming basket.

"DERYN!" Alek yelled. He caught her and they both fell to the ground.

"DAAAAAA!" Alek looked up to see Mr. Sharp's balloon on fire. The same on that he had just throne his daughter out of. "NOOOOO!" She shrieked. She was trying to climb the rope back up to him but Alek stopped her. She screamed and hit and flailed but it was no use. Alek knew he was dead and he wouldn't let her die as well.

Soon the whole thing was gone and Deryn was lying in his arms, crying her eyes out as he gently pet her head. It was all over.

A month later:

Alek woke to thrashing arms and legs, same as every night since Deryn's accident. Since her Da died, Deryn had been a wreck. She wouldn't talk; she hardly ate and didn't sleep. When she did sleep she had horrible night mares.

Alek woke Deryn up from her latest night terror. Ever since her Da died, he had been sleeping in her bed to wake her when this happened. He softly shook Deryn to tell her she was alright and safe. This, however, always meant that her Da was dead.

She sat up and started to cry on Alek's shoulder, just like every night. It killed him to see her like this. He started to pet her short hair; all of her long beautiful gold ringlets burned up in the balloon fire.

"I'm here, you are safe, it'll be alright, I'm here." He cooed to her ear. This hardly ever helps. She looked up into his eyes and said her first word in a month.

"Alek," She whispered. She kissed him on the check and lay back down. He lay down as well and pulled her closer.

"I'm here, it's alright, I've got you, you're fine." Over and over this would go until she was back to sleep.

Before the accident in the one month she had been there, Deryn was already well into German and could understand almost everything the servants in his palace were saying. Once he even found her down in the kitchen cleaning.

"Deryn what are you doing?" he said in English. Alek was astounded. He knew Deryn was a commoner but who would chose to do dishes?

"Hi Alek!" she said in German. "You know this Clanker talk isn't hard at all! It's just like English only gruffer. It's kind of like English and Celtic mixed together."

"Alright but what are you doing?" He said in English.

"Helping with the dishes. Why? Is that a problem?" She said in German. The cook hit her over the head with her hand.

"Child, you can't talk to him like that!"

"Oh it's fine. She can't speak to me anyway she wants." Alek said in German.

"Oh, may I ask why?"

"It's because he's head over heels in love with me, right honey?" Deryn said in German with a huge grin on her face. The cook took a step back while Deryn made a kissy face at Alek.

"T-that's not it!" Alek yelled. He was pink in the face had a look of embarrassment on his face that made Deryn want to swoon.

"I'm only kidding! You don't have to be so defensive." She picked up a plate. "I'm not done yet, so you can either leave until I'm done or you can pick up a plate and make your royal bum useful." And to the cook's surprise, Prince Aleksander took the plate form her hand and started cleaning.

This was only one of the many little games Deryn played around the palace. She had actually become quite good friends with plenty of the servants. All of which were worried now; especially Dr. Barlow. Dr. Barlow was their Darwinist tutor, who was a Darwin. Dr. Nora Darwin Barlow was the granddaughter of Charles Darwin himself. She was very interesting and very smart. Deryn loved having a strong female role model and to Alek's surprise her like learning about the Darwin's 'beasties'.

But now that Deryn wouldn't speak the classes were dull. All of his classes were dull, just like they had been before. He never realized how exciting his life was with Deryn in it. The day of the accident, Deryn and Mr. Sharp had asked Alek if he'd like to come up with them, but he declined.

Deryn had been so happy up in that balloon with her Da. No matter who was with her, Deryn always seemed to enjoy flying and Alek was always there on the ground watching her. They had a deal: she watches him fence, he watches her fly.

"Alek" she had said his name. His name was the first word she had said since the accident. What did that mean? Alek had learned long ago that he was in love with Deryn, but did she feel the same? It's true that he has been by her side for this traumatic happenstance. Her brother had been stationed all over the place and couldn't come by much. Her mother and aunts were all the way in Scotland and was sick from morning her husband's death. When Deryn heard that she laughed. Alek thought that meant her mother just didn't want to bother with her. Could she be thanking him for being with here all this time?

"Alek," Deryn whispered. Does she just want to talk?

"Yes?" Alek whispered back.

"I need your help."

"Anything you want."

"Help me fly again." Alek knew she loved to fly. He knew her better than anyone else. But he never thought she would want to fly after what had happened.

"Are you sure?" She sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"I've been studying Da's work and I know what to do. He taught me everything he knew before he…"

"It's alright, Deryn. You don't have to push yourself."

"No. before he died he taught me so much, and 's been giving me books. I know how to do it. I just need a little help." Her eyes were sparkling just like they used to. He was so happy to see her happy and hopeful again Alek would agree to anything.

"I'll help you however I can." She kisses him on the check and went back to sleep.

Next week…

For the past week Deryn had been talking freely with everyone and anyone. She was back at the top in all of their langue classes. She had German down and English obviously, but she was far ahead of Alek in French, Latin, Spanish, and Russian. She also knew Celtic so that's one more langue she knew. Deryn had tried to teach Alek but he failed miserably and gave up. So to get back at him, every once in a while, usually when she was with her brother, she would speak Celtic.

Alek would usually be angry with her for excluding him, but this time he was just happy she was talking. Though this time the conversation didn't seem to be going so well; that was confirmed when Alek saw Deryn running away.

"What happened?" Alek asked Deryn's brother accusingly. They had never really bonded and every once in a while Alek forgot his name, but other than that they didn't seem to have a problem.

"I don't know what you did to her, but when I find out, you are dead!" Jaspert said. He stormed off after her, leaving Alek very confused.

"Son," His father placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "I think we need to talk." Alek gulped and followed Father to his study. Mother was waiting inside with Volger and a guard Alek didn't know. He knew that man was one of Deryn's friends but he had never met him.

"Alek," his mother said, "This is Hans Bauar. He is a guard here." Bauar bowed, like a good solder. "He's here because he cares about Deryn," she walked over and took her husband's hand, "And so are we."

"Why?" he immediately asked. "She's talking again, she has no trouble with any of the tutors, and she's eating. Why are you worried?" he turned to Bauar.

"Young master, it's true what you say. I'm sorry to report this but I have seen you go into Ms. Sharp's room during the night on occasion." He blushed when he said this and turned his eyes away.

"Well you don't think that I… you know, DID anything to her?" He looked at his parents and they glared back with a stern expression. "NO!" Alek yelled, "NO! I WOULD NEVER!"

"We understand, son, we just needed to ask." His father said. There was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me?" Deryn said from the door in German. "I couldn't help but over hear, see as how I was eavesdropping." She had a wide smile on her face. "I just want to say, your son here," she patted Alek on the back, "is a good boy," and ruffled his hair, "and a gentleman," she took his hand, "and he wouldn't do something like that."

"Then why was he in your room at night, love?" Father asked.

"We're sleeping together. Oy, Jaspert!" she saw her brother outside the door and left. Alek got a cold glare from his parents.

"So we done here?" Alek said and left as swiftly as he could while Volger laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh wow I'm so sorry this took soooooooooooooooooo long. Well then again this story isn't really that popular in comparison to my others so, to those of you who actually have been waiting, I'm sorry and thank you, to those who haven't, SUFAAAAA! Ok, so here it is._

Recap: Deryn and Alek were childhood friends because Alek's dad was allied with England. Deryn, her dad and her brother, Jaspert, had gone to Austria to teach Alek and his family about Darwinist stuff (oh yeah, and Dr. Barlow). But her dad died while they were at Alek's family's estate and Deryn was taking it very badly. Alek started sleeping in bed with her (no pervs! Not like that). People saw him going into her room, though, and now his parents are all like 'WWWHHAAAATT?' and Jaspert's all like 'ALEK I WILL KILL YOU!' And so, here we are…. Enjoy!

"Deryn! Wait up!" Alek cried as he raced down the hall after her. Why had she said that? Why would she tell his parents, Volger, and her friend Bauer, that she was sleeping with Alek? Did she tell her brother? Is that why he hated him now?

"Deryn, where did you go?" he asked himself.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Alek heard Deryn yell to his left. Deryn and her brother were having an argument in an empty room with the door ajar. He snuck closer to listen.

Earlier:

Deryn had seen Jaspert storming by Franz's study, "Oy, Jaspert!" she yelled after him and ran off. Jaspert spun around and griped his little sister's arms.

"What do you think you're doing!" he started, "What's wrong with you? You know you can't just live here!"

"Hush..." Deryn saw an empty room. "Come on." She pulled him in the room, but forgot to close the door.

"Deryn, you're killin' me." Jaspert pushed his hand through his hair. "Just tell me what you're planning. Please, Deryn." She ran forward and wrapped her arms around her big brother, pulling him into a big hug.

"Adountowwe." She murmured into his chest.

"What was that?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed into him. (This is where Alek started listening.) "I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go, I don't know if I even WANT to go anywhere."

"Deryn, you need to think seriously about this."

"What do you think I've been doing this past month?" She pulled back and yelled in his face. "You asked me to think at the funeral and I've been thinking ever since! I haven't been able to sleep! I haven't been able to concentrate in class! I've barely been able to eat!" She was close to tears now.

"Oh no." Jaspert pulled his sister close. "Come here, it's ok." He pet her hair just like Alek did. "I know it's hard, I've been going mad, but we can't ignore it."

"What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, but you can't stay here, and I'm going all over the place with the air force and Ma's sick…"

"HA!" Deryn pulled back, "Ma's fine! She and the aunties just don't want to deal with me."

"That may be true, you are a handful."

"No, she's not." Alek came through the door, after listening to this whole conversation. "She's not a handful, she's sweet and compliant and helpful." He turned away from Jaspert to Deryn, "and you can stay for as long as you want, you don't have to go anywhere. We all love you and want you to stay. Why do you think you have to leave?"

Jaspert stepped in front of Deryn, shielding her from Alek. "She can't just say here. We have a life in Scotland and a home. She was only ever here to stay with Da, and then only for a year."

"It's only been two months!"

"I don't want to be a burden!" Deryn called from Jaspert's side.

"Deryn, that's ridiculous!" Alek cried.

"No it's not! I've been a burden to you. Keeping you up at night, making everyone worry; poor Sophie had to hire an etiquette teacher to try and make me someone you can introduce to people."

"But that's not a burden! Mother loves helping you and teaching you! She loves having a daughter!"

"That's true." Sophie, done with _her _eavesdropping, walked in arm-in-arm with Franz. Count Volger was right behind them, trying not to show his smirk. "I've always wanted a daughter." She patted Alek on the head. "Sorry son."

"It's alright, I know."

Alek held out his hand, "Deryn, do remember when we were younger and you convinced me that there was something in the pond, and when I leaned over to look at it, you pushed me in? And do you remember the first week you were here and helped your father set up his balloon and I offered to help? You had me inside the balloon part when it took off. And do you remember last month, right before he died, when we were racing through the yard and you tripped and fell into the pond? Your father saw and carried you all the way back because you twisted your ankle."

Deryn took Alek's hand. "Why would you think any of us would want you to leave when you make this place so much fun?"

Deryn stood there, facing the people who loved her (and Volger). Everyone looked happy with the fond memories, and sad for the loss of her da. All the emotions, all the things she'd kept in over the past month just came up in a rush. How her mother had abandoned her, her brother not being able to stay, Alek comforting her, her surrogate parents, Franz and Sophie, taking her hand, patting her back, pulling her out of her hole of depression. It all came out as tears, and she cried on Alek's shoulder.

Later that day:

Jaspert said to his sister, "You know I hate leaving you."

"Aye, I know, but you know I know you have to." Deryn said to her brother.

"Aye." They hugged a goodbye hug and with Deryn in his arms, Jaspert turned to Alek. "Alright, your princeliness..."

"You know I really don't like that nickname."

"Aye, so your princeliness, you watch after my sister."

"Yes, I know, you say that every time you leave here." Jaspert released Deryn and strolled up to Alek, grabbing his collar.

"Aye, but this time, I mean it."

"I can see that."

"Jaspert, leave off him." Deryn pulled her big brother off her friend and kissed Jaspert goodbye.

As she watched her brother fly away in the Leviathan (the most famous airship), Deryn grabbed Alek's hand and leaned on him for support.

Deryn got a good look around and was awed to see it's magnificence up close; except for that midshipman, Mr. Newkirk, who flirted with her quite a bit. (Alek almost punched him, but Jaspert just laughed.)

By the end of that month:

"OW DERYN!"

"WELL IT'S NOT MY BLOODY FAULT! YOU'RE A BAD TEACHER!" Alek sighed.

Deryn was back to her lessons, but way behind on her etiquette. Whenever her teacher came, Deryn was nowhere to be found. Even trying to get her into a dress was a long struggle involving thrashing, twisting, clawing, biting and screeeeeeaaaaming.

Since Deryn was talking again, Alek asked why.

"Have you ever worn a corset?" she asked him in return.

"No." Deryn dragged him into her room, took off his shirt (no, don't go there) and pulled out one of her corsets. When she found one, she pulled it around Alek's torso and told him to hold onto the bed post while she tightened it. The noses Alek made as Deryn pulled the laces tighter and tighter were so far from manly, that Master Klopp ran into the room concerned for Deryn's safety. Deryn was dying on the floor laughing; Alek was dying from lack of oxygen and embarrassment.

But now, they were dancing, or at least Alek was trying to teach her to dance a classic Austrian waltz. Now that they were all sure Deryn was staying for a while, they had to make sure she could be introduced to society...

She wasn't doing very well, though.

"No, come on Deryn. It's easy, just 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3."

"I'm trying!"

"Keep your posture straight up."

"Oy, alright, alright."

"Don't look at your feet, look at me." Alek took her chin in his hand and pulled her face up to meet his, a bit closer than he had meant to. "Just look at me."

Deryn stopped dancing and placed both her hands on Alek's shoulders. "I'm looking at you. What now?"

Alek blushed. "O-oh, well, uh-uh um," cough, "I-I think that maybe w-we sh-should continue with this lesson later."

"Why?" Deryn stared right into Alek's eyes with passion. "I'm enjoying myself." She slipped her hands from his shoulders to his neck and pulled him closer. "Aren't you?"

"O-oh, well um," cough, "I-I'm having a f-fine time, b-but..."

"Alek," when he heard his name, he gulped, "when we're this close I know you're having more than just a 'fine' time. Every night I can tell you're having more than just a 'fine' time." Every time she said fine, Deryn winked. "You like me, don't you?"

Now leaning in (why not? She knows, go for broke!) Alek whispered, "Is that so wrong?"

"It could be." and she leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him. Alek leaned back, placing his hands around her waist to get her closer. Deryn grabbed Alek's hair and forced him closer. Alek responded with a moan and started to run his hand up and down Deryn's back making her shudder and her eyes flutter.

At the threshold of the ballroom, Wildcount Volger stood staring at the young couple. This time he wasn't laughing….


End file.
